Seeing a friendly face made Hermione almost sigh with relief, and she forgot all about her former mysterious behaviour towards Sirius at the bar. She opened up the car door and got in. He had put his arm around the back of her seat and looked straight at her. He seemed as pleased as she did.
"Sirius, what are you doing here?", Hermione then asked with a big smile on her face. There was a smile and joy in his face that she had never seen before, and she totally forgot how she had left him back then.
"Well, I was just passing through, and I wanted to try my luck", he answered and lifted his hand as if wanting to caress her cheek, but he restrained himself.
"At the casinos?", Hermione asked.
"No, I meant with you", he answered honestly, and if not mistaken, Hermione was sure she could sense some sort of longing in his voice. She hesitated for a moment; why did he keep being so nice to her?
"I like your new hair", he then complimented her and softly brushed his hand against her hair.
"Oh, well, thank you. And that is really thanks to you. You got me the hair colour", she said, feeling relieved to be able to really talk to someone again. She had really missed that human connection, even if it was with a man she barely knew. Yet she still seemed to feel like she had known him for a long time.
"Did you make it big here, then? Did you become Marilyn?", he asked her. Hermione looked down, contemplating her answer.
"No... No, I didn't. You see... when I finally got here, I didn't feel like it. I like being Hermione better", she lied and looked at him a bit insecurely. He did not see through her lie. Instead he just nodded.
"Hermione. I like Hermione better too".
For a moment silence fell between them as Hermione did not know how to continue the conversation. She did not know his intentions, as she did not believe that he was just passing by.
"Have you been to the casinos?", she then asked him. He shook his head.
"No, I haven't. You wanna go?" He smiled as he suggested them doing something together, and it was contagious.
"Yes, I would love to. And we need a couple of drinks to celebrate", Hermione agreed.
They parked the car and took a stroll down the sidewalk. Sirius was casually dressed in jeans, a shirt and a jacket, and Hermione was dressed in a short and girly summer dress with cowboy boots and a sparkly bolero over the dress. He offered her his arm, and she took it. He made her feel safe, and for some reason she felt that she had really needed it. They went into the biggest and most splendid casino they could find. Inside it looked like a complete palace worthy of a princess. The lights were magnificent, and the decor was so extravagant that it looked unreal.
"Wow, this sure is different", Hermione said, taken aback, and stopped for a moment to take it all in. Sirius laughed silently and looked lovingly at her. She could sense it, but she did not look back. She enjoyed having someone looking at her like that, even if she did not really understand his affection towards her.
"So let's gamble and get drunk", Hermione suggested and gave him her prettiest smile. A smile he could not resist. She glanced at him, and he did not even look like he was trying to resist her. She wondered if he was very lonely.
"As the lady commands", he just answered, and Hermione started speculating whether he would jump off a cliff if she asked him to?
Then they went into the gambling rooms, and Sirius got the drinks while Hermione started betting. She did not use her own money as he had started out giving her almost 1000 dollars to play for. He got her several drinks, and she started pouring them down while getting more and more caught up in the gambling. Sirius did not really participate much, but that did not seem to bother him. He seemed perfectly happy just sitting by her side and provide the support, money and drinks. As the drinks emptied out, Hermione felt the alcohol affecting her, making her lost in the moment. She once again forgot all her other issues and was totally present in the moment. The music was playing loudly too, and it all seemed perfect once again. This really was Vegas: The lights, the interior, the sparkling carpet, the shimmering short dresses worn by too old women, the darkness, the lustful setting and a man by her side giving her what she wanted. This was the way she had always pictured Las Vegas, and she wanted the night to last forever.
The hours passed by, and Hermione soon found herself winning 2000 dollars. By sheer luck she betted on number 13, and she had won back all the money she had lost and more too. She was drunk, but it was the good kind of drunk. Not the kind where she would feel sick and depressed, but the good kind that made her feel light as a feather and happy as a child. Sirius had been drinking too, but he did not seem as intoxicated as her.
After winning one last time, they decided to get some dinner. He helped her off the chair and held her hand. His warm touch was like a hot bath on a cold winter day, and she did not let go.
"You having a good time?", he asked her.
"I am having the best time ever. Thank you, Sirius. Why have I never met a guy like you at home?", she asked him bluntly, probably saying too much. He smiled, and here in the darkness, wearing his wide smile, he did not look as weird as before. He looked almost decent.
"You can probably do better. You are young and beautiful", he replied, and his honesty sobered her up a bit. He almost sounded sad.
"Are you lonely, Sirius?", she just asked him. She had wanted to know the entire day, and her drunken condition helped her ask the difficult and delicate question. He stopped and looked at her.
"I am sorry, Sirius. I did not mean it like that", she then apologized, but he shook his head.
"No, it is fine. The divorce was difficult, but I am doing fine. You just fascinated me. You and the attention you give me", he said. His sincerity once again hit her hard. They walked into a restaurant and sat down, while Hermione tried to get her head around his man. The first time she had met him, he had seemed so confident and reserved, but this time he was different.
"Truth is I am lonely too. I am not divorced like you are, Sirius. My husband died, and that sent me down a dark path. The girl you met at the bar is the girl I want to be, not the girl I actually am. And you were nice to me as the only guy there", Hermione then said, taking a sip of water.
"I feel sorry for your loss, dear", he just said, expressing his condolence with the look on his face instead of his touch.
The waitress came and took their orders. They both ordered the Las Vegas Burger Special.
"I guess we both pretended to be the people we want to be, but not the people we are", he then said.
"I believe you are right, but you know what, isn't it about time we take matters into our own hands?", Hermione then said, suddenly all eager again.
"What should we do?", he asked her.
"Something crazy. Something that make us feel live. The feeling I just felt while gambling; I want to feel that thrill again. Why not?", she answered, all keen. Not being alone, she felt much more comfortable doing something wild and out of the ordinary. She looked at him, and he smiled too – apparently wanting to participate in her game.
"Don't you want to feel alive? Just for once?", she kept on encouraging him.
"Hell yeah, you are right. I am tired of doing all the boring and ordinary stuff", he said, looking the most liberated she had ever seen him.
"Good, I dare you to grab the burgers when they come and skip out on the bill. Just take them out of the waitress' tray and run away", she then said, suddenly all flirty. The idea made her blood rush to her head and she felt excited. First he looked bewildered, but then he calmed down, and a devious smile appeared on his face.
"Jesus, I can't believe I am doing this. I am a grown up man, not a teenager", he said.
"Today we'll act recklessly like teenagers. Regrets are for tomorrow", Hermione said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the waitress approaching with their burgers. She pointed towards her and watched Sirius as he started to look nervous. That made her laugh, and she got ready to follow him.
Then it happened: The waitress reached their table, Sirius gave Hermione a nod, and then he got up, snatched the burgers, and ran out as fast as he could manage. The waitress said nothing; she just stood there, confused and taken aback. The other costumers watched them with their jaws dropped. Hermione felt an enormous blood rush as she ran half-drunk after Sirius out of the restaurant and into the street. It was dark outside, and they kept on running until the restaurant was out of sight. When they finally stopped, they found a less crowded street, and Sirius handed Hermione the messed up burger. She laughed and took a bite.
"That was the best thing I have ever done. I swear, Sirius", she shouted, feeling high. She leaned back towards a building to catch her breath. Sirius laughed too, bending down to calm himself. She could easily see that he never did anything crazy. Then he approached her, wiped the ketchup off his hands and put them on her cheeks.
"You are something", he then said, short of breath, leaned in and kissed her on her lips. She had not seen it coming, but even if it took her by surprise, she did not object. Instead she dropped the burger, put her hands behind his head and kissed him back passionately. There really was something about him that kept on drawing her to him. When he finally let her go, he stroked her hair gently and touched her earrings lightly.
"I have a challenge for you, then", he said, close to her face. She kissed him again.
"Anything. I am up for it", she then whispered into his ear, clearly not thinking it through. Right now it did not matter; this was a moment to remember.
"Marry me", he then said and stared into her eyes.
"What?", she replied.
"Marry me. Las Vegas style. Right now". He pulled away but did not let his gaze drop. The look in his eyes told her that he was serious. He really must be lonely, she thought.
"Okay, I will marry you", she then said, and now it was his turn to be surprised. He did not look like he had believed that she would go along with it.
"You will?", he then asked her. "Even though you know nothing about me?". She nodded.
"Well, it was your idea, and you might get more surprised than I do when we start sharing life stories, so it is me asking you if you really want to do this?". Her question was honest, and if he agreed, it would not be her fault when he found out. He was the one who wanted the marriage without knowing anything about her secrets.
"Sure, I am game. I don't think I will regret it", he answered, approached her again and kissed her on her lips. He put his hands around her and held her tight, but without feeling her up. Actually she had expected him to, but he did not. Maybe he was a good guy after all, Hermione realized, as she started to have second thoughts.
A real Las Vegas wedding was to be performed in one of the many chapels, and Sirius and Hermione found the nearest one. Before sealing their new deal, they went into a costume shop as all the other shops were closed. Sirius picked out an Elvis outfit, while Hermione found the tackiest white dress possible. It was made from cheap fabric, very short and very revealing. It looked like a slip that was supposed be to worn under a real dress. As accessories she found a hat with an attached clip-on veil, high boots and a couple of small flowers in white shades that she put on the dress. She fixed her make-up and applied lots of red lipstick and eyeliner. She took a final look in the mirror:
"Ready for the last act, Hermione". She sighed and left the fitting room.
Outside she met Sirius, and without hesitation they went to the minister in the chapel. It was just like it was on TV; a small, round room with chairs and an aisle in the middle. The walls were white but covered in pink decorations, and at the end of the aisle was the guy dressed as a priest. A couple of other couples were getting married too tonight, and Hermione was not really able to tell them apart judging from their fashion sense. All the other brides were wearing something similar to her except from one; a plus size girl in her late teens dressed in a tulle-hell, trying to look like a Disney princess. She looked so happy and anxious that it was almost sad. Hermione could not understand why she wanted to get married here and not have a real wedding?
The process went really fast, and suddenly the priest pronounced Sirius and Hermione man and wife. They sealed their newly created relationship with a kiss and a lot of champagne. The champagne made Hermione feel giggly again, and now the marriage seemed like a great idea again. She had nothing to lose, so this marriage really was no big deal. Not to her anyways.
"Let's get out of here. Lets drive into the night and into the desert", Hermione then said to her husband and kissed him on his forehead.
"Where do we go?", he asked her, and it was easy for her to tell that his sense had started beating inside him, making him realize what he had just done.
"Anywhere. Nowhere. Just on the road", Hermione replied and caressed his hair to make him remember why he had decided to marry her. He really seemed to love the femme fatale she pretended to be whenever she wanted. Well, she could do that for him.
Soon they found his car, stepped into it and got ready to drive.
"Ready?", he then asked her and took her hand. She nodded, and they headed out on the highway, leaving Las Vegas with all its glitter and lights behind them and heading into the darkness. The cool air in the clear night felt like a fountain against Hermione skin as they drove out into the night. Everything seemed so beautiful; so unique to her, just like a movie, but this time it was her movie. She decided the direction. Well, sort of.
"Sirius, there is something that I haven't told you", she then said, getting comfortable in her seat and putting a blanket around her.
"Yeah, what is that?", he asked her.
"My husband committed suicide", she just said. He looked at her.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry. May I ask why?" Hermione kept on looking right ahead onto the road. This was the perfect setting for telling her secret. The one that no one knew. If people knew, they would probably understand her actions better. All of this. The America trip, the reckless behaviour, the careless attitude.
"Yes. Ron was a good guy, but he had been involved with drugs".
"Oh, really? Did the drugs kill him?", Sirius eagerly asked. Hermione shook her head and did not remove her gaze from the dusty road. Even in the night the red colour of the dirt was visible. It was beautiful.
"No, he only did hard drugs once, but it was enough. He accidently used a dirty needle, and soon he was sick with HIV", she answered. Sirius was speechless, so she continued.
"He did not know for a long time. But unfortunately he did not find out until he had passed it on to me too". She held her breath while dropping the bomb. Finally, she turned her head and looked at Sirius.
"What?", he asked in disbelief.
"When he found out, he killed himself out of grief and guilt".
Sirius did not answer. She gave him an apologetic look.
"Maybe I should have told you sooner, but you were the one who wanted the marriage to happen so fast. I told you you'd be surprised".
He still did not answer. He seemed like he wanted to, but the words did not want to leave his mouth. This was what a man in shock looked like apparently.
"But let's forget all about it for now and enjoy the night", she said, feeling surprisingly calm. There were still adventures to live, and she was ready to live the rest of her life like there was no tomorrow – well after all, maybe there was no tomorrow for her. Only the thought of the pursuit of the American Dream.
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